Probably not a week goes by that a reader asks where to find a good haunch of beef. We invariably tell them one of the many steakhouses across the Dallas skyline depending on where they live. We love Nick and Sam’s. It could be that they pass out caviar like it was candy, and sincerely… isn’t it? We also love Pappas Brothers in all their wine goodness.

Tonight several craveDFW staffers will be at Del Frisco Double Eagle for a wine dinner. We love somm Jennifer Jaco and never bypass a moment where we can visit with her even for a few minutes. Chamberlain’s Steak and Chop House also is a staff favorite, and we love his cigar room. Plus you get Richard Chamberlain, and that always makes for fun evening.

Invariably we will get a note back asking where to find the same steak on the cheap. Seriously, you want a prime steak but at a cut-rate price? Well, as luck would have it, we do know just such a joint in Dallas.

The no-frills atmosphere of Dunston’s lends itself to massive chunks of beef cooked well over flaming mesquite wood. You are served by old school waitresses reminiscent of Flo, the diner queen with tall hair and every other word is “hon”. Ok, the last part is annoying as hell after the fifth ‘hon”, and we have no clue what the word “shooog” even means. But the steaks are actually quite nice, and for a slight upcharge you can get them in-house aged prime.

A bit thin, but only $11 and cooked perfectly

The fun part about Dunston’s, besides the walk back into a cheesy era, is that you can watch them handle your meat. They carve and cook right before your eyes in the most open kitchen we have ever spotted in Dallas. No five second rule here, it is all seen and in real time.

So enjoy a ten dollar steak, baked potato and salad without all the fuss and high falootin’ miseries of a large check at the end of the night; it’s pretty damned good stuff.

There are still two locations in Dallas, one is north on Inwood at Lovers. The other is on Harry Hines.